New and Notable Books
Steven Barnes, Zulu Heart
(Warner Aspect Mar 2003)
Barnes tackles tough issues of slavery, freedom, and humanity in this sequel to the acclaimed Lion’s Blood, an alternate history of an America colonized by African civilizations.
Greg Bear, Darwin's Children
(Ballantine Del Rey Apr 2003)
The genetically altered children of Darwin’s Radio grow up in a world hostile to their existence in this thoughtful sequel.
Leigh Brackett, Martian Quest: The Early Brackett
(Haffner Press Dec 2002)
This collection gathers the 20 earliest stories, presented in chronological order, from a writer considered the undisputed ‘‘Queen of Space-Opera.’’ An introduction by Michael Moorcock discusses Brackett’s influence on the field.
Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Avatar
(Tor Apr 2003)
Phèdre seeks to rescue her old friend Hyacinth from magical servitude, and in the process explores matters of sex, time, and the gods, in the third and final volume in the opulent, exotic, and erotic ‘‘Kushiel’s Legacy’’ fantasy series.
Michael Chabon, ed., McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales
(Vintage Mar 2003)
Michael Chabon gathers a stellar roster of leading genre and mainstream authors - including Elmore Leonard, Sherman Alexie, Stephen King, Michael Moorcock, and Harlan Ellison - for this anthology of 20 original stories that try to get back to the pulp roots of genre fiction.
Cecilia Dart-Thornton, The Battle of Evernight
(Warner Aspect Apr 2003)
Fantastic landscapes and creatures out of Celtic folklore fill this final volume of the ‘‘Bitterbynde’’ fantasy trilogy, as the once-mute heroine travels through strange realms, seeking to restore the balance between the human and Faeran worlds.
Michael Flynn, The Wreck of The River of Stars
(Tor Apr 2003)
Flynn updates classic nautical tales with this epic account of an outmoded interplanetary spaceship, its captain dead, and the unprepared First Officer left to cope with a motley crew, a mysterious passenger, and a doomed last mission.
M. John Harrison, Things That Never Happen
(Night Shade Books Jan 2003)
This collection gathers 24 stories from an author noted for the originality and visionary quality of his work. Three stories have not previously been collected, the others only collected in UK editions. Harrison provides a new foreword and notes on the stories.
Brian Herbert, Dreamer of Dune: The Biography of Frank Herbert
(Tor Apr 2003)
Frank Herbert’s son Brian assembles this detailed and authoritative biography/memoir of one of SF’s greatest authors.
Nalo Hopkinson, ed., Mojo: Conjure Stories
(Warner Aspect Apr 2003)
These 19 stories of ‘‘personal magic’’ get beyond zombie/voodoo stereotypes as they explore African-Caribbean belief systems. All but one of the stories are new, by authors including Steven Barnes, Neil Gaiman, Andy Duncan, and Barbara Hambly.
Jim Knipfel, The Buzzing
(Vintage Mar 2003)
Paranoia and tabloid-style news merge in this wacked-out excursion through a gritty New York where investigative reporter Roscoe Baragon starts wondering about his own sanity when he uncovers a big story while working the ‘‘Kook Beat.’’ A first novel.
Nancy Kress, ed., Nebula Awards Showcase 2003
(Roc Apr 2003)
Kress’s rendition of the annual anthology includes the winning stories plus two nominees, an excerpt from the winning novel, commentary by eight authors and editors, and two Rhysling award-winning poems.
Linda Nagata, Memory
(Tor Apr 2003)
The feel of visionary fantasy mixes with hard SF in this powerful novel of a young woman’s quest for a missing brother in a far future world beset by out-of-control technology.
Lucius Shepard, Louisiana Breakdown
(Golden Gryphon Apr 2003)
A musician gets stranded in a small town in Louisiana, falls in love, and finds himself in the middle of magical intrigues in this breathtaking novella.
Robert Silverberg & Karen Haber, eds., Science Fiction: The Best of 2002
(ibooks Mar 2003)
The editors weigh in with 11 contenders for the best SF stories of the year, by authors including Charles Stross, Ted Chiang, and James Morrow.
Jeff VanderMeer, Veniss Underground
(Prime Books Mar 2003)
VanderMeer brings his dreamlike, surreal imagery to the far-future, post-apocalyptic city of Veniss, where three characters become mixed up in the nefarious schemes of a legendary bioengineer.
Howard Waldrop, Custer's Last Jump and Other Collaborations
(Golden Gryphon Press Apr 2003)
The idiosyncratic Waldrop teams up with authors Leigh Kennedy, Steven Utley, Buddy Saunders, George R.R. Martin, Bruce Sterling, and A.A. Jackson IV for these eight stories, with comments on each by Waldrop and his collaborator.
